Improvement in processes of treating wood



U ITED STATEs PATENT OF ICE.

HALF HIS RIGHT TO PETER ROBLING, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES OF TREATING WOOD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,501, dated January18,1876; application filed October 29, 1875. I

The process consists in saturating the wood with moisture, preferably bysteaming, and,

while thus softened, subjecting it to repeated rolling, by which it isreduced in thickness and greatly extended in length, further moisturebeing supplied by drips of hot water or other means, to take the placeof that which is squeezed out by the rolls. On the completion of theprocess the wood acquires great ductility and flexibility, and a generalconsistency approaching to that of leather.

Willow-wood i found'to be well adapted to the purposes of my invention.Cotton wood also answers well, and, in viewv of its. great abundance,will be found preferable in some parts of the country. Various otherkinds of wood may be used with good efl'ect In carrying out my inventionI prepare thewood in strips of any convenient width and length, andthree quarters of an inch (more or less) in thickness. It is subjectedto steaming in chambers, such as are usually employed for steaming wood,as a preliminary to bending or cutting the same, and when completelysaturated and permeated by the steam, it is pressed between iron rolls,such as are commonly employed for rolling leather,

In order to keep the wood in a moist and saturated condition during therolling process, I employ jets or drips of hot water, which are soarranged as to fall on the parts of the wood which are about to enterthe rolls. I

For some purposes it is found desirable to roll the wood at intervals,leaving inter-' vening portions unrolled,'and thus preservingtheiroriginal strength andrigidity. Thus, for example, wood prepared forthe manufacture of shoe-soles may be rendered flexible in places wherethe sole is required to bend, and may retain in other parts its fullstrength, stiffness, durability, and capacity for holding nails, 85c.

In cases where the wood is to be rolled throughout it is found best topass it through the rolls in a direction diagonal to the grain. Thiscauses less violence to the transverse cohesiveness of the wood than ifit be passed.

through crosswise of the grain. The effect in either case is to compressthe wood and ex-.

tend it greatly in length in a direction transverse to the grain. Inthis way I have successfully rolled out a strip three-quartersof an inchthick to sixteen times its original length,

Without separating it or destroying its tenacity. It thus acquires greatflexibility, and is an excellent material for the manufacture of insolesfor boots and shoes, and for many other purposes. Among other uses, Imay mention, for example, that it constitutes a good material forwindow-curtains, being well adapted for rolling. It is also a goodmaterial for carpets. It may be combined with leather or woven fabricsin any manner, to impart greater strength or to give any desiredsurface. It may be strengthened by stitching, either with or without theaddition of leather or a woven fabric, for any required purpose.

Having thus described my invention, the following is "what I claim asnew therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The process hereindescribed of treating wood by the combined agency of moistureandrolling, to increase its flexibility.

M. ROBLING. Witnesses:

OCTAVIUS KNIGHT, WALTER ALLEN.

